Saturday, June 29, 2013

Launching any company needs preparations. One needs a plan- what to sell, how to sell, at what rate to sell, how to approach customers, how to handle break even, from where to get the initial funds, how to expand, when to expect break even and so on.Raman was good at numbers, good at planning and he got started preparing the ground work. He got cracking on above preparations on the sidelines of his office work and day by day he was inching closer to his dream.But beyond a point, he couldn't just sit in his office and dream about his own start up. He had to get on the field and get cracking. For this, he had to quit his job. With lots of courage, he finally filed his papers. He had confided his plans with few of his very close friends and colleagues by now. Initially they thought he's gone mad, but once they realized how serious he was, they were very supportive.While serving notice period, the news of his resignation spread and many thought he's joining a rival company for better salary and position. A few even attempted to make him speak which firm he's joining and if there're openings. Telling them that "I am not joining any other company" was yet another challenge, as many wouldn't just believe him. He is not speaking out because he doesn't want to refer us- they thought.Soon Raman will not have the comfort of monthly salary credited automatically into his account. This meant huge lifestyle changes. Yet another challenge for Raman, which he cherished none the less. He had to cut on all unnecessary expenses and learn to live on bare minimum. Raman chose to suspend all eating outs, unnecessary shopping and so on. To save on fuel, he kept aside his car and took out his bike. This and many other changes helped him save more.To set up the company, Raman had to go through lots of red tape- Another challenge for entrepreneurs in India. Officials felt he is starting a company with millions of dollars in hand and they felt it is their birth right to demand few lakhs under the table for every approval and signature. But if there's a will, there's a way and Raman relished this challenge and soon his company was registered. "Dream Tours" is the title he chose.Next he had to prepare basic infrastructure- the website was under preparation, brochures and other promo materials were getting read. Raman had to sell his idea to get his first few customersWith company registered and basic infrastructure in place, Raman planned few unique trips, promoted it as much as possible and waited for his first customer to sign up.

One should experience it for themselves. The joy of getting first paid customer is much more than that of getting one's first job. It is an assurance that someone has believed in our idea, value proposition and quality. When Redbus got its first customer, whole team came down to boarding point to meet the customer and see him board the bus.

Eventually Raman did win lots of customers and soon his trips were getting sold out within days of announcement. Those who were skeptical about his success were now on the backfoot. This is how Raman took up the challenge, relished it and succeeded in his dream mission.Image from thecompanywarehouse.co.uk